13.02.07 Jn. 12:27-33
FORETELLING HIS CRUCIFIXION
27 “Now My soul is troubled. What should I say—Father, save Me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again!”
29 The crowd standing there heard it and said it was thunder. Others said that an angel had spoken to Him.
30 Jesus responded, “This voice came, not for Me, but for you. 31 Now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 As for Me, if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to Myself.” 33 He said this to signify what kind of death He was about to die.
Throughout the Old Testament Period the Jewish people believed that God spoke to selected men, generally known as prophets. For example,
- God spoke to Samuel when he was a child (1 Sam. 3:1-14).
- God spoke to Elijah when he had to flee from Jezebel (1 Kgs. 19:1-18)
- God spoke to Eliphaz the Temanite in Job 4:16.
However, after four centuries of prophetic silence and the invasion of Hellenism, most of the Jewish people ceased to believe that God spoke personally to anyone. So when they heard the voice from heaven, it was absolutely stunning!